Ex-Rep. Solomon Ortiz among U.S. pols to speak at government-sponsored conference in Bahrain

Thursday, March 28, 2013

A former Texas Democratic congressman has joined a controversial ultraconservative Republican on the speaking roster for a government-organized conference in a Middle Eastern country known for its record of human rights abuses.

Former Rep. Solomon Ortiz of Corpus Christi is listed as one of the featured speakers and is set to give closing remarks at the Bahrain International Symposium that will take place March 31 – April 2. Ortiz joins former congressman Dan Burton of Indiana, a conspiracy theorist and bitter political enemy of former President Bill Clinton.

Burton is also a featured speaker at the event. No current members of Congress are on the list of speakers.

Ortiz, who was defeated as a Democrat by Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold in 2010, served on the House Armed Service Committee during his tenure and his expertise includes military and national security issues. Ortiz voted in favor of the 2006 Bahrain Free Trade Agreement while in Congress.

Ruling family have held on to power in the face of two years of protests inspired by the Arab Spring

Andy McSmith

Thursday 28 March 2013

Liam Fox, the former Defence Secretary, will this weekend be one of the chief guests at a conference designed to rally Western opinion to the side of the Bahrain government in its struggle against street protests and civil rights demonstrations.

Mr Fox is the only Briton on the list of “key people” attending the Bahrain International Symposium. Other guests include prominent American neoconservatives, such as John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the UN.

The symposium’s stated mission is to “examine institutional developments and political reforms in Bahrain (and) the challenges of empowering diverse coalitions for democratic transition and stability.”

Bahrain’s ruling family have held on to power in the face of two years of protests inspired by the Arab Spring. Mr Fox could not be contacted yesterday to answer questions about whether his presence at the symposium indicated his support for the Bahrani government in its struggle with the demonstrators. More than 60 people have died during two years of protests. On Tuesday, it was reported that 13 civil rights demonstrators had been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The Bahrain government has shown itself to be sensitive to Western opinion, and anxious to portray its government as a constitutional monarchy tolerant of religious minorities and seeking a peaceful transition to democracy. But critics say the Sunni royal family has no intention of surrendering power.

The two-day conference is sponsored by Bahrain University and by the Washington-based Bahrain American Council, which was set up in 2011 by a PR firm, Policy Impact Communications, to promote trade between the US and Bahrain and to convince opinion leaders in the West that Bahrain has a stable regime on the path to reform.

The Arab kingdom of Bahrain has not lacked British visitors this month. The Foreign Office minister, Alistair Burt is just back, members of the Commons Foreign Affairs committee have just arrived, and the former Defence Secretary Liam Fox will be there over the Easter weekend. His office say that he is there to discuss defence matters, including the basing of the British fleet off Bahrain, with the Foreign Office’s support: here.

DISGRACED former defence secretary Liam Fox urged Parliament yesterday to give government the “tools it needs” to bomb Syria, Libya and elsewhere. Mr Fox, who resigned over allegations that he gave a lobbyist friend special treatment, claimed that Britain had a legitimate right to attack Islamic State (Isis) targets: here.

Mr Hammond is the university’s local MP and had been invited to give a speech about British security and defence; however, his arrival was met with around 70 students chanting “gay, straight, black or white, marriage is a civil right.”

But on Friday, the senior cabinet minister, who had agreed to briefly meet with students Joe Rayment and Jack Saffery-Rowe used more contentious language.

Mr Rayment told PinkNews.co.uk that Mr Hammond said he was “very concerned” with the reform and that he believed gay couples would attempt to take religious groups to court if they refused to provide them with a marriage ceremony.

Mr Rayment challenged Mr Hammond on the fact that the Anglican Church to which he belongs had in the past altered its position on marriage, the MP responded: “yes, but that wasn’t yesterday”.

When the students asked why the MP believed the government should retain a ban on same-sex marriages, he responded by likening the current ban on equal marriage to incest, where it is illegal for two siblings to enter into wedlock.

When asked by PinkNews.co.uk to clarify the remarks concerning incest and why he mentioned the word, Mr Hammond personally emailed PinkNews.co.uk: “The discussion ranged very widely and was not limited to same sex relationships.”

MPs will vote on the second reading of the government’s Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill on 5 February – although Mr Hammond revealed to the students that he would not be in the country when it is expected to take place.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond is about to hand £14 billion of government spending to some big US firms who have been hit with multimillion-dollar fines for misbehaviour on public contracts in their native United States: here.

Today we are recommending a series of articles from across the British press, which continues to unearth new details about the manner in which Mr Werritty benefited from his relationship with a Cabinet minister, why he attended top-level government meetings and how his lavish lifestyle of first-class flights was funded.

As Scandal Engulfs American Legislative Exchange Council‘s UK Affiliate, a Closer Look at Its US Operation. Lee Fang and Scott Keyes, ThinkProgress: “The Atlantic Bridge, the British affiliate organization to the American Legislative Exchange Council, is quickly erupting into a scandal that may force the public to scrutinize the practices of both right-wing groups. Earlier this month, the U.K.’s Charity Commission shut down Atlantic Bridge after an investigation revealed that the nonprofit has operated as little more than a front for various corporate lobbying and Tory party interests. The scandal has already forced the resignation of David Cameron’s Defense Secretary Liam Fox after the revelation that the Atlantic Bridge’s London-based director, Adam Werritty, had improperly acted as a high level advisor to Fox while employed by a number of military industry and lobbying clients”: here.

Disgraced former defence secretary Liam Fox was forced to apologise to the House of Commons today for breaching the ministerial code following an internal inquiry into his dodgy links with chum Adam Werritty: here.

Resignation of UK defense secretary reveals links between ministers and military firms: here.

Prime Minister David Cameron faced accusations today that he “almost certainly” breached ministerial code by not calling his adviser on ministers’ interests to investigate allegations of impropriety against former defence secretary Liam Fox: here.

Westminster’s wannabe “adviser” scandal engulfed another top Tory today as news broke that Minister for International Security Gerald Howarth had met in secret with dodgy charity director Adam Werritty.

Westminster’s wannabe “adviser” scandal engulfed another top Tory today as news broke that Minister for International Security Gerald Howarth had met in secret with dodgy charity director Adam Werritty.

Defence Minister Philip Hammond told MPs in a parliamentary answer that the Cannock and Burntwood MP had joined Mr Werritty in a meeting with one of his backers – the Iraq Research Group.

There is no record of civil servants attending the meeting – a breach of the ministerial code.

“Adam Werritty was also present at a meeting between Mr Howarth and a representative of IRG Ltd regarding information that could be useful to the department relating to Iraq,” Mr Hammond said.

“The discussion centred on the economic and political landscape in Iraq.

“No further contact or action has taken place,” he added.

Former defence secretary Liam Fox quit in disgrace this month after it emerged Mr Werritty, a “personal friend,” had arranged private meetings with Israeli politicians in breach of ministerial codes, lived off of donations from intelligence agencies and lobbyists and represented himself on business cards as Fox’s “adviser.”